The History Of Cats
A Research Report by Starlah Espinoza
How were cats domesticated? I've been wondering for awhile now. Were they domesticated for a purpose, or just to live in your home and be a companion? In this report I will be answering that burning question in the back of all of our minds.
According to The Humane Society Of The United States, about 35% of American homes have at least 1 cat, according to 2015-2016 stats. But how long have they been living with us? Turns out cats have been among us for thousands of years.
The Oldest Evience Of Cats The oldest evidence of cats living with humans is from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where many animal species including cats were introduced by about 7500 BC. The earliest known …show more content…
However, there is some evidence that every cat was considered to be a demi-god. One theory suggests that the cat as a semi-divine being could not be owned by a mere human. Only the pharaoh had a high enough status to own a cat. Therefore, all cats were under the guardianship of the pharaoh and harming a cat was treason.
As a result, there were extreme penalties for harming cats throughout Egyptian history. At the height of Bast's popularity killing a cat, even accidentally, was punishable by death. Diodorus Siculus wrote "Whoever kills a cat in Egypt is condemned to death, whether he committed this crime deliberately or not. The people gather and kill him. An unfortunate Roman, who accidentally killed a cat, could not be saved, either by King Ptolemy of Egypt or by the fear which Rome inspired." However, some feline mummies recovered from Bubastis display severe trauma to the head or neck, indicating that they had been intentionally killed. This of course contrasts with the law regarding the killing of cats. However, it is thought that this action was considered acceptable in Bubastis to prevent an explosion of the feline population and that all the cats were offered to Bast (and would therefore live eternally in kitty-heaven). Anyone else deliberately harming a cat was in deep
A Research Report by Starlah Espinoza
How were cats domesticated? I've been wondering for awhile now. Were they domesticated for a purpose, or just to live in your home and be a companion? In this report I will be answering that burning question in the back of all of our minds.
According to The Humane Society Of The United States, about 35% of American homes have at least 1 cat, according to 2015-2016 stats. But how long have they been living with us? Turns out cats have been among us for thousands of years.
The Oldest Evience Of Cats The oldest evidence of cats living with humans is from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where many animal species including cats were introduced by about 7500 BC. The earliest known …show more content…
However, there is some evidence that every cat was considered to be a demi-god. One theory suggests that the cat as a semi-divine being could not be owned by a mere human. Only the pharaoh had a high enough status to own a cat. Therefore, all cats were under the guardianship of the pharaoh and harming a cat was treason.
As a result, there were extreme penalties for harming cats throughout Egyptian history. At the height of Bast's popularity killing a cat, even accidentally, was punishable by death. Diodorus Siculus wrote "Whoever kills a cat in Egypt is condemned to death, whether he committed this crime deliberately or not. The people gather and kill him. An unfortunate Roman, who accidentally killed a cat, could not be saved, either by King Ptolemy of Egypt or by the fear which Rome inspired." However, some feline mummies recovered from Bubastis display severe trauma to the head or neck, indicating that they had been intentionally killed. This of course contrasts with the law regarding the killing of cats. However, it is thought that this action was considered acceptable in Bubastis to prevent an explosion of the feline population and that all the cats were offered to Bast (and would therefore live eternally in kitty-heaven). Anyone else deliberately harming a cat was in deep